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Wyld Odyssey Equipment
=Communications Technology= The basis of distant communication in the Third Age is the principle of Essence Modulation. Pioneered in 103 P.E. by an Air Caste Terrestrial and Changing Moons Lunar, Essence Modulation is the the theory of how the resonating patterns of essence Essence which is charged and discharged through Adamant and Oricalcum vanes can be modulated as it is charged and discharged; and how that resonating pattern can be detected by similar vanes of Adamant and Oricalcum and deciphered back into the original input. The original Essence Modulation transmitter was the size of a Colossal Warstrider, and the first receiver was the size of a grown man. However, the device was impressively demonstrated when two sets of each were constructed, and the Terrestrial researcher on the far side of Autochthonia held a conversation with her Lunar partner, who was at the time deep inside the Silver Chair. By 409 P.E., the technology was small enough to fit in a set that a boy could carry in a backpack or satchel, and the discovery of parallel resonance allowed for the function of the receiver and transmitter to be combined into a unified transceiver with no loss of functionality, while the discovery that the modulation's resonating harmonic could be adjusted into a huge number of resonating bands meant that potentially limitless numbers of people could be using the technology at once. Now, Essence Modulation is common technology, built into all sorts of things. Advances in the technology and the miniaturization thereof have led to multiple revolutions in the implementations and spread of E.M. technology. Not all applications are equal, however. The small handset with a minute transceiver and which is mostly essence battery which a foreman in a factory in Estasia-Lookshy uses to communicate with his department heads might be able to reach other small handsets in Estasia-Lookshy, if he knew how to (and was able to) configure it to reach their modulation bands. Compared with the enormous Patropolis-sized Essence-Modulation Transceiver Array (an Alchemical Charm based on the same principles,) it is but a toy. Between is a vast and wide swathe of potential applications. All E.M. transceivers share common functions. The most basic and universal function is the ability to transmit and receive audio. Though this function has been a part of Autochthonian society for as long as can be remembered - far into the pre-Evacuation days - thanks to hard wired systems and deific powers, Essence Modulation technology put it into the hands of everyone, and made it portable. E.M. distance communications are very mote-efficient, with nearly all transceivers running on an internal battery or external connection to a larger essence source, and need absolutely no ability to control Essence internally from their user. Many more high-end sets allow for video communication, though most of these are actually reception sets without transmit capability, and at the highest end are holographic tanks and projectors which allow for long-distance visual representation of distant persons; these are rarely seen below the use of the Celestial Exalted or the Fleet itself. E.M. Handsets The smallest model in common use, this is also by far the most prevalent. The amounts of Adamant and Oricalcum it uses are infinitesimally minute, with panes of dense crystal and gold or copper providing most of the actual surface. As a result, these get some amount of distortion and feedback in the audio loop, which tends to get worse the more intervening objects there are between the handset and whomever they are communicating with. Through emptiness with direct line-of-sight between such handsets, the maximum intelligible communication range is approximately ten miles; inside Autochthonia it falls to about five. (The signal can be detected by sensitive instruments much farther away, but only herculean efforts can decipher the message which was transmitted.) This model is effectively a Resources 1 purchase. Depending on the purpose to which they are to be put, they may have the capacity to transmit and receive on as few as one to as many as several pre-set channels. Their power systems are relatively cheap rechargeable essence power packs that hold enough power for about five hours of continuous transmission. They effectively last for four days of being powered on with normal transmission frequency; few of them can take a charge from an essence-wielder, most being too primitive to take raw essence, and need to be charged from a power station. More powerful models (Resources 2) exist with effective (Autochthonian) ranges of up to fifteen miles. These have very large transceiver vanes on the top and comfortable heft. Almost always these are capable of more fine control, letting the user dial-in the resonating band he's looking for, and typically have a scan function allowing them to rapidly search through all the bands in their capability to find one upon which someone is actively transmitting. They use larger power packs, and have similar duration to their smaller cousins, though these models are still only seldom capable of taking an Essence charge from an Essence-user. Those models which are need a charge of ten motes, which need not be committed to the device. In the hands of an Essence-user these have effectively limitless duration, though this is typically a by-product of the device being designed to recharge itself from being placed on or near active essence conduits for ambient recharge. The most advanced models (Resources 3) have video screens as well, functioning just like the Resources 2 model in all other respects. Vehicle Models These larger E.M. transceivers still tend to skimp on the magical materials in favor of using a lot of the mundane equivalents to amplify the resonance produced by the small sums of the magical material used in their construction. They can manage this thanks to being mounted on vehicles; every vehicle manufactured for use in Autochthonia comes with one of these (those manufactured for use outside Autochthonia get far more impressive models which don't spare any expense.) A vehicle model E.M. transceiver still costs Resources 2, but it's much larger and more power-hungry than the smaller models. Usually this is a nonissue, as the E.M. transceiver built-into any vehicle draws power from the same source that vehicle does. Even the smallest vehicle, the size of a Swift Rider, would come equipped with such a communications device; the have more than ten times the vane surface of smaller models, and consequently can easily communicate one hundred miles through the body of the Great Thinker - and more than twice that if the transmitter is somehow transmitting down a main shaft through which it has little resistance. As long as the vehicle it's attached to has power, this model will function. The vehicle model E.M. transceiver is a freebie unless for some reason it's acquired standalone - which is not unheard of for a number of reasons, such as a guard post communication device. In a permanent installation environment, it's almost always tapped into the nearest essence conduit or other stationary permanent power source. Resources 3 models (which are not freebies on vehicles, but which may be relatively easily upgraded,) have video screens as well. Artifact E.M. Handsets All-Magical-Material vane versions of the basic E.M. handset are much, much more effective - they're also almost nonexistent in this day and age. Most of them have been recycled, and had their functions integrated into various forms of small utility artifact; after all, when one artifact can do the work of three or four at the commitment cost and resources cost of only two, it only makes sense to use the one artifact. On their own, one of these A.E.M. Handsets would set their owner back to the tune of Artifact 1, and would draw power either from the commitment of two motes of Essence, or any device capable of providing the effective benefit of a rating-1 Hearthstone, which the wearer would derive no additional benefit from. They tended to incorporate illuminated display screens, capable of sending and receiving video as well as audio, and even translating incoming holographic images into flat display. These E.M. handsets have vast ranges - one thousand miles of legible transmission under the worst conditions. Through open vacuum, one would easily be capable of reaching the Silver Chair or Daystar from the surface of Autochthonia. Artifact E.M. Vehicle models Reserved exclusively for the use of vehicles, these massive E.M. transceivers feature vanes the size of a man. Though they effectively cost Artifact 2 to own, they are typically only incorporated into vehicles, houses of government, and the homes of the Exalted. Their effective range is limitless across a solar system; interstellar communication is the province of much more powerful devices and Municipal Charms. They incorporate full hologram recording and display functions, and those found in vehicles (such as starfighters) are fully-integrated functions of the ship's control and command systems, being part and parcel of it's cockpit displays. Models installed in permanent locations are invariably tapped into the local essence conduits for power. It is notable that there is no transmission time-lag; after it became realized that the speed of perception is not infinite, experiments with E.M. transceivers on fast-moving vehicles very, very far from those they were communicating with proved that Essence Modulation reception is faster than the speed of perception in the emptiness. =Artifacts= Personal Omnidatum Assistant (Art 2) Nicknamed the Poa, the Personal Omnidatum Assistant was invented in 1107 by the collaboration of Lissome Avid Engineer, Elegant Nova of Progression and a humble Twilight friend who refused to claim credit for the device. It has become the indispensable omnitool of the Exalted, and the variations on the device are legion - larger, bulkier, less portable (and even non-portable) versions made with less magical materials are starting to find their way into the operations of mortal activity, while their functions have been fitted - or refitted - into nearly all artifact vehicles that ply the Emptiness, and many of the personal conveyances of the Exalted. A Poa is, simply put, a miraculously magnificent experiment in miniaturization and essence-optimization, put to a plethora of uses, and ubiquitous enough to qualify as an Artifact 2. The typical model is about the size of a grown man's hand from the tip of his middle finger to his wrist, and about as wide as his four fingers. Of course, saying that a model is typical is egregiously misleading - versions have been made which fold in half and flip out, versions have been made which are a single, unmoving unit; versions have been made which come in a compact form and can slide out for more viewing and input space, versions have been made in large, ruggedized cases fit to be held and manipulated in two hands... The list goes on and on. All of them share some properties, though many are made with special properties for their owners. A Poa carries a commitment cost of four motes, though most models have the option to be powered by a hearthstone-equivalent of rating 1. (The user receives no further benefit from such a stone while it is in place.) Ruggedized, larger models contain integrated tri-capacitor arrays for continuous power without needing a genuine hearthstone, but smaller models would be too cumbersome and fairly ridiculous with an external triple-array. All Poas integrate the functions of the Artifact E.M. Handset. They also incorporate the functions of ancient history Resplendent Personal Assistants: they can determine relevant direction based on their current setting (on Autochthonia one will orient you towards the elemental poles and give your depth below the hull, for instance, both in concrete measurements and in decks, as well as giving relevant information on the orientation of the Daystar and Silver Chair) they keep time and date flawlessly. They also incorporate all of the functions of a Recorder of Everlasting Glories and them some: it can record information on all the bands of perception available to it and store that for later; it can record fully-holographic information around its owner on command, storing it for later, though its own playback is limited to sound and flat video or images. Its sensors, however, are the most impressive feature of a Poa. In addition to E.M. scanning and transceiver, it features the ability to analyze the ambient environment and specific objects to an incredible level of detail, as well as featuring a surprisingly large library of information available to it. It allows it's user to make rolls to determine information that would normally not be possible without charms, specialized equipment or stunts, such as determining whether an alien fruit is safe to eat, or determining the magical properties and aspects of an alien artifact. Analyzing (either the environment or specific objects) is normally a Speed 6, DV -2 action. The scanning function of the Poa reveals all basic data about an environment, such as whether the atmosphere is safe to breathe (both immediately and long-term,) exact temperature, humidity, and other such mundane things. It also reveals strong magical forces in the area that may not be immediately apparent. When used to scan or search, it effectively adds three dice to the relevant attribute + ability roll, and enables the learning of information which would otherwise be unavailable (such as the presence of incorporeal essence forms) to someone without superhuman sensory perception. =Vehicles= The vehicles section here is described mostly as found in Wonders of the Lost Age, but there is a difference. Many of the vehicles in the Third Age can reach speeds unimaginable during the Second Age and rare even in the First Age. For example, a Shaft Speeder may be about the same size as a Tube Speeder and the Tube Speeder is undeniably a direct descendant thereof, but the Tube Speeder incorporates advances in magitechnology that were unimaginable to the Alchemicals of two thousand years ago. Therefor, vehicle speeds are expressed two ways: the 'low' speed that a vehicle is capable of carefully maneuvering at, and the 'top' speed that it reaches at full throttle, suitable for high-speed overland travel and adrenaline-fueled hovercraft chases, but not suitable for interacting with persons on foot at (barring the odd strafing run, of course). To reach its top speed, a vehicle must accelerate with the Dash Action, with each Action it accumulates speed equal to its 'slow' speed until it has hit its top speed, at which point it moves at that rate steadily without needing to dash. Each increment of increased speed reduces a vehicle's Maneuverability rating by 1 (for example, at top speed, a Shaft Rider has a Maneuverability rating of -1R.) Deceleration is easier (well, as long as you have gravity and friction to work with; the Emptiness is another matter, not being covered here) but not free. You can shed half your 'slow' speed every tick, and once you reach your 'slow' speed you can stop on a dime. For instance, a Shaft Rider at it's full top speed of 110 yards per combat tick can choose to continue going on at 110 yards per tick or may slow down and travel 90 yard on this tick, 70 yards on the next, 50 on the third, and 40 or less (including an all stop) on the fourth tick. Exceeding these limitations is the purview of good stunts and Charms. Vehicle Template Speed: ; Top Speed: Maneuverability: Endurance: Crew: Cargo: Armor: Health Levels: Weapons: Other Notes: Shaft Rider (Art 2 or 3) When the survivors of Lookshy fled to the sanctuary offered by their Autochthonian allies, they naturally brought all of their remaining materiel with them, including large numbers of their Swift Riders. In the over 200 years since then, the descendants of those vehicles have become absolutely ubiquitous throughout Autochthonia. Larger than the Swift Riders that were their progenitors, the Shaft Rider comes in a wide variety of designs and styles, depending upon where (and when) they were manufactured. One of the most widely-produced artifacts in Autochthonia, Swift Riders typically are sized to seat two people comfortably, though some might manage to seat three if they really liked one another. The most common model is the one manufactured by Estasia-Lookshy in sufficient numbers to regularly export to other nations: branded the Shaft Scout, it ranges between 3 and 5 yards long depending on model year. Originally only a one-seater, the extra length is accounted for by the addition of length primarily to accommodate a second rider on later models. Rugged and dependable, the Shaft Scout has a long, smooth body cowling on top, showing off the mechanical underpinning beneath in gleaming metal tones. The pilot operates the Shaft Scout by means of two horizontal handlebars mounted on twin risers from the cowling, a pair of wide-set pedals that double as a place for him to brace his feet on, and a control panel below his chest (when he's leaning forward in flight.) The Shaft Rider's control facia also features an integrated Tri-Socket Adapter, allowing up to three Hearthstone-equivalents to be installed; naturally, the intent is for the installation of Essence Capacitors - indeed, they often come pre-furnished with such power supplies. Steering is accomplished by a combination of leaning and letting the steering vanes mounted over a yard ahead of the main body catch the air and pull the nose. Though tricky to learn for most mortals, this aero-steering method has since been incorporated into most models of Shaft Rider, and even those which use active thrust to steer found that their initial releases were treated with suspicion and disdain until they revamped them to have sufficient vanes to look right in the eyes of their intended users. All Shaft Speeders share the following characteristics: they require any one hearthstone-equivalent to function (an actual hearthstone, an elemental core or an Essence Capacitor,) and only require a rating of 1. Most of them come with tri-adapters preinstalled, and many of the later models are actually built with a triple-core adapter that has three rating 1 essence capacitors pre-installed, and built into the body such that they cannot even be accessed without tearing the vehicle down. They tend to weigh upwards of one hundred pounds at the lightest. Swift Riders hover between one and four yards off the ground, depending on model, and have a top speed (typically) around 220 miles per hour; top speed translates into 108 yards per tick; in combat such speeds would only be imaginable in a high-speed chase in which the other participants present had similar speeds. More typically, when attacking combatants on the ground, the Swift Rider would be piloted at a slower speed of approximately 40 yards per tick. The Shaft Rider has lost its progenitor's ability to burn its riders motes at a prodigious rate and achieve actual flight, but it can maintain its height in a straight line if it needs to cross a chasm, falling at a rate of one yard every six ticks (bearing in mind that at top speed it travels 108 yards per tick, most chasms can be easily crossed without difficulty.) A Shaft Rider hovers at all times as long as it has power; its passing may blow small objects around, but is not harmful. Most Nations produce an armed model for military and security use; these typically feature some sort of unique activation key without which the vehicle will not function at all (some will move slowly without it, but will not fire or accelerate to a speed above 25 Mph,) and an integrated weapon of some sort. Shaft Speeders all come equipped with a vehicle model E.M. Transceiver at no extra cost, though it is not unheard of for those being used by scouts ranging far into the Reaches to have been upgraded to the equivalent of an Artifact E.M. Transceiver. Speed: 40/80 Mph slow; Top Speed: 110/220 Mph Maneuverability: +2R (Ride 2) Endurance: Requires a hearthstone or equivalent to operate, no attunement necessary. Crew: 1/1 Cargo: Two riders, plus saddlebags; or one rider and 200 lbs of cargo Armor:10L/10B Health Levels: Ux10/Mx5/Cx4/I/D Weapons: None on base model. Armed versions usually carry an Essence Bolt Cannon Mk. II that draws its power to fire from the Shaft Rider's engine core and thus requires no attunement nor firing cost. Other Notes: A Shaft Rider and its pilot both have a Dodge DV equal to (Pilot's Dexterity + (Lesser of Ride and Dodge) + Essence /2) and the pilot may use her Parry DV to defend against attacks launched at herself normally, and may defend the Shaft Rider Tube Speeder (Art 3 to 5) The modern-day descendant of the original Shaft Speeder, the Tube Speeder is much faster and more strongly-built than the original it was based on. Tube Speeders are powered by Essence engines for main-line thrust and hover-panels for lift and detailed movement. The main engines deal 8L damage to beings and objects within five yards of the rear of the vehicle when the jets go hot, and flammable objects can catch flame. A number of different models exist, though all of them share many basic similarities. The basic models fulfill much of the same functions as the original Shaft Speeders did; quick travel within Autochthonia and Reaches exploration or sending out repair teams to fix trains that have ground to a halt between stops. Heavier, militarized versions are taken into battle by daredevil pilots and gunners and see use against demon and cult outbreaks and gremlin spirit attacks when such things occur, and the same vehicles have proven to be invaluable support for landing parties sent to the surface of planets. Tube Speeders hover anywhere between one and five yards off the ground, and may jump chasms in the same manner as the Shaft Rider, above. Civil Defences and Aggressive Reconnaissance (ARC) Tube Speeder, Civil (Art 3) Speed: 35/70 Mph; 5op: 100/200 Mph Maneuverability: +2R Endurance: Needs maintenance after 400 hours of use or risk of catastrophic breakdown (vehicle grinds to a halt.) Roll one die for every ten hours of use in arrears; vehicle grinds to a halt when any die rolls 1. Crew: 1/1 Cargo: 3 passengers and 200 lbs of cargo, or 800 lbs of cargo Armor: 10L/10B Health Levels: Ux10/Mx5/Cx4/I/D Weapons: None Other Notes: These statistics are representative of the 'average' civil use Tube Speeder. This is the version that would be used to carry a repair crew out to a repair site and the like. They usually have four seats, two-by-two, with the pilot usually (though not always) one of the front seats. Tube Speeder, Hover Van (Art 3 or 4) Speed: 30/60 Mph; 5op: 60/120 Mph Maneuverability: +0R Endurance: Needs maintenance after 500 hours of use or risk of catastrophic breakdown (vehicle grinds to a halt.) Roll one die for every ten hours of use in arrears; vehicle grinds to a halt when any die rolls 1. Crew: 1/1 Cargo: 1 passenger and 4000 lbs of cargo, or 20 additional passengers Armor: 10L/10B Health Levels: Ux10/Mx5/Cx4/I/D Weapons: None usually, military models typically have a Mk. II Essence Bolt Driver in a turret under the passenger's command. Other Notes: A large, heavy hover van used to transport miners to their mine and back, emergency services personnel to the locations of emergencies, soldiers to outbreaks of Yozi Heresy or other battles, or simply cargo from point A to point B, the Hover Van Tube Speeder is widely modified to suit its intended use. Being as common as it is, it's the speeder most likely to be found in the hands of those who do not live in the normal paradigm of Autochthonian life, and the uses these strange people put the hover van to, and the number of modifications they make to them, is truly staggering. In one notable incident, a particularly well-armed and paranoid group of Reaches-nomads were attacked by a handful of Apostate Alchemicals introduced during one of the many raids the Abyssals and Apostates have made on Autochthonia, and the nomads deployed everything from light infantry up to and including artillery cannons from the backs of these hover-vans, fighting the Apostates off at heavy cost of life. Tube Speeder, Civil Defense (Art 4) Speed: 35/70; Top: 110/220 Maneuverability: +3R Endurance: Needs maintenance after 400 hours of use or risk of catastrophic breakdown (vehicle grinds to a halt.) Roll one die for every ten hours of use in arrears; vehicle grinds to a halt when any die rolls 1. Any time in which the Civil Defense Tube Speeder travels over 200 Miles per hour counts as 25 hours of normal operation. Crew: 1/1 Cargo: 1 Gunner and 2 Passengers, or 400 lbs of cargo. Armor: 15L/15B Health Levels: Ux10/Mx5/Cx4/I/D Weapons: Twin-Linked Essence Bolt Driver Mk.2 and Essence Bolt Driver Mk. 3 in turret. Other Notes: This civil defense version of the Tube Speeder is representative of a version up-armored and equipped to deal with uprisings and hostile incursions. A Mk.II Essence Bolt Driver is mounted on either side of the cockpit, under the pilot's control, and the passenger/gunner has command of a Mk.III cannon mounted on a turret on top, bringing serious firepower to any party. The maneuvering jets have been uprated, and though acceleration hasn't improved, the limiters have been removed from the main drives, enabling it to reach a higher top speed. Tube Speeder, ARC (Art 5) Speed: 45/90 Mph; Top: 125/250 Maneuverability: +2R Endurance: Needs maintenance after 400 hours of use or risk of catastrophic breakdown (vehicle grinds to a halt.) Roll one die for every ten hours of use in arrears; vehicle grinds to a halt when any die rolls 1. Crew: 1/1 Cargo: 1 Gunner Armor: 20L/20B Health Levels: Ux10/Mx10/Cx10/I/D Weapons: Twin-Linked Mk.4 Essence Bolt Drivers under pilot's command, Twin-Linked Mk.2 Essence Bolt Drivers mounted coaxial to a Mk.3 Essence Bolt Driver under Gunner's command. Other Notes: An incredibly heavily-armed battle-ready variant of the Tube Speeder, the only thing that separates this vehicle from a combat-ready Sky Speeder is the fact that it cannot actually fly. However, its maximum altitude is 90 yards instead of 5; ask any ARC Tube Speeder pilot and they'll tell you it's just as good as actually flying. The deep basso rumble of their engines expands to a high whine as they transition from ground-effect hovering to aero-skipping with their broad, aerodynamic bodies, control flaps and heavy-duty engines. The pilot has command of a linked pair of fixed-forward Mk.4 Essence Bolt Drivers capable of punching through even warstrider armor; the gunner has a turret with a single Mk. 3 Essence Bolt Driver and twin Mk. 2 Essence Bolt Drivers mounted coaxial under it, allowing the ARC Tube Speeder to engage any threat it could reasonably encounter. =Weapons= Beam Weapons As a modification to the normal rules for Beam Weapons, Beam Weapons only cost +1 artifact dot, and their total commitment plus activation cost cannot exceed the normal attunement cost for a weapon of the type it is based around. Rapid Fire It's going to happen: with Star Wars and other science-fiction games being direct inspirations for Third Age, players are going to want to unleash rapid-fire hell on their enemies - and right they should! This game is all about unleashing hell, whether it's with a daiklaive or an orbital bombardment! Here is the ruling, then. Weapons which are linked to fire together do not add Rate (normally; see below), they add +2 Accuracy and +2 Damage to their attack for each doubling of the number of barrels. A Dual- gets +2, a Quad- gets +4, and an Octuple- gets +6. Nothing is built bigger than an Quad under normal circumstances, because that would just be silly, and a heinous waste of resources. Weapons which have a Rate of 1 or less may fire in linked mode to gain the bonuses above, or shots may be more carefully targeted, adding +1 to the rate for each barrel (Maximum rate 4). For example, a weapon with a Rate of 1, in a quad-link, could be fired once at its normal Speed with a bonus of +4, or four times with no bonus, or even twice with a +2 bonus. A quad-weapon with a Rate of 1/4 could be fired once per action at no bonus, or once every four actions with a +4 bonus, and so forth and so on. Essence Bolt Driver A long-overdue replacement of the ancient the Concussive Essence Cannon technology, the Essence Bolt Driver is an adaptation of the Essence Pulse Cannon which is designed to integrate with the Alchemical Exalted. Introduced in the year 1756 P.E., these weapons are still fairly new, but true cannon models of these weapons soon became the standard armament of Autochthonian starfighters. Essence Bolt Drivers utilize very efficient Essence Absorbers to provide most of the power for their shots from the ambient environment, but still require a mote of Essence from their wielder to fire. This has hampered their widespread adoption amongst the forces of the Autochthonian nations, though experiments to produce models which may be powered wholly without essence from the firer are underway, which have born fruit for vehicular models. These weapons may be fired in a stun mode which deals Bashing damage that cannot wrap around past filling up a target's Incapacitated health box, making them highly suitable to capturing targets without killing them. Lethal attacks from these models are not capable of physically disintegrating a slain target, however they do reduce the benefit from nonmagical metal armor to 1/3rd as normal. All Essence Bolt Drivers integrated into a vehicle have both attunement and firing costs of zero, as it is presumed that the vehicle's power source and the weapon's integration mounts have the costs covered. As a consequence, they may fire all day long. Essence Bolt Driver Mk. I, Hand Beampiece (Art 3) Made popular by the well-traveled Xexan Starmetal Caste Perfected Plot Improviser, it was that luminare who gave the Mk. I Essence Bolt Driver its popular name of Hand Beampiece. Manufactured with the grip of a hand-crossbow and typically carried in a synthetic leather holster on the hip, this weapon is easily concealed and handy to use, with a light commitment cost. Essence Bolt Driver Mk. II, Shoulder Beampiece (Art 3) Equivalent to the Essence Pulse Cannon which integrates into Alchemical Exalted with the Charm Transcendent Multimodal Artifact Matrix, this larger weapon has a chassis style very similar to that of a crossbow. It requires two hands to wield and cannot be easily concealed, but it generally makes up for that limitation with it's impressive firepower. Essence Bolt Driver Mk. III, Shoulder Beamcannon (Art 4) An adaptation of the Siege Devastator version of the Essence Pulse Cannon, the Essence Bolt Driver Mk. III is rarely known as a Shoulder Beamcannon because it's so awkward and unwieldy to use, and has such a high commitment cost. For those rare Exalted who use one (primarily heavy weapon specialists among the Dragon-Blooded Exalted of Estasia-Lookshy,) this is a cumbersome but powerful anti-vehicle weapon: almost everybody else uses it primarily as a vehicle-mounted version, which is often seen mounted in pairs and even quad-mounts. This version requires rating 3 Essence Capacitors to function, and will drain one entirely in the span of a single scene. The Capacitor will need to be serviced before it can be returned to duty. Versions being carried by a person are so cumbersome that they impose a -2 mobility penalty that stacks with any incurred from the armor the wielder is wearing. Its blasts ignore the soak of nonmagical armor entirely, and targets are hurled back and suffer injury if slammed into objects as though the attack was enhanced by Heaven Thunder Hammer (see 'Exalted, p.242,) though knockback damage caps at 25L. Targets larger than a Shaft Speeder cannot be knocked back in this manner. Essence Bolt Driver Mk. IV (Art 5) A heavy weapon that requires three Rating-4 Essence Capacitors to operate (For a total of 9 encased in the cannon,) the Mk. IV Essence Bolt Driver might be shouldered and fired... By a man in a Warstrider. Even for such a man, such a weapon would be cumbersome, incurring the same -2 mobility penalty that the Mk. III Shoulder Beamcannon would incur for a lesser man (and consequently, most Warstriders would probably choose to use a Mk. III, which they might use without penalty.) However, it's undeniably a much more powerful weapon, capable of rending through the armor of even a Colossus Warstrider with comparative ease. Against some of the things the Fleet has seen on their Odyssey, such firepower may not be not only warranted, but in many cases insufficient. Category:Exalted